We don't want to call Randling a massive flop, but if it was on a commercial network, it wouldn't be any longer. It's not as much of a disaster as Laid, but it's getting closer to that miserable condition every week. What's wrong with it?

We fell in love with her in the first two seasons of House, enjoyed her cameo as William Shatner's mother in Star Trek, and now we find her again, more brassy and more muscular, in Once Upon A Time. Jennifer Morrison and her imaginary menagerie pulled a bigger total audience than the bikies, but most of her viewers were over 40 (people who grew up listening to fairy tales rather than iPods). Channel Ten points out that Brothers in Arms, aka Underbelly on Harleys, aka Boobs, Bikes and Baseball Bats, won the night with viewers aged 18-49.

This is the daily update of The Sun-Herald's Who We Are column by David Dale, who teaches Communications at UTS, Sydney. He is the author of The Little Book of Australia - A snapshot of Who We Are (Allen and Unwin). For continuing conversation about Australian attitudes, bookmark The Tribal Mind.

26 comments so far

New Girl was watched because it was paired with Homeland and was the only non reality TV on before the dramas at 8:45pm. It's now been moved to 7pm when people are having dinner on Sunday.

Commenter

Pertinax

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 14, 2012, 12:03PM

The interesting thing is that Bones, Castle and The Mentalist are all rating a couple of hundred thousand below what they normally do. And it's not like Touch or repeats of Midsomer Murders rated well either.

So what happened to the Sunday audience? Has the Networks' stuffing around with programmes put views off waiting up for dramas? Or are the top ratings shows just getting old.

Channel 7 has completely surrendered Monday to The Block and the The Voice and is concentrating on Sunday and Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how Once Upon A Time and Downtown Abbey go. Revenge started loosing views at Easter and didn't recover against The Voice. It didn't rate any better on Wednesday and is now warming the bench.

After a month where FTA and Pay channels tried to throw everything at once at the audience it is back to the usual situation of sorting through 1000 hours of TV to find a few shows worth watching.

Commenter

Pertinax

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 14, 2012, 12:46PM

Actually, Revenge held up well opposite the karaoke competition. Plus it's been renewed in the US so it's here to stay.

Commenter

Fielding

Date and time

May 15, 2012, 8:41PM

Revenge was down from 1.7M but was still rating 1.25m. Though a lot more people were recording it. I don't understand why they dumped their entire Monday night line up for a repeat of an old movie.

Seven are back to plan A next week with 2 episodes of Body of Proof added to try and boost the audience of non Voice watchers. BoP is cheaply made, dreadfully written and acted crime stuff but it did well with over 55s at the end of last year when there was nothing else on.

Commenter

Pertinax

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 17, 2012, 10:59AM

There's something about 'New Girl' that's very surfacey. It seems quite well written and yes, Jess is annoying but the problem for me is that you can't get in. Or something.

Anyone planning to watch 'Bikie Wars' tonight? No, me neither... Despite Ten News and 'The Project' and a News Special by Hamish McDonald tonight trying to keep the guttering flame of Bikie Violence alive long enough for the story to remain "current". It's too cold. They've put their guns away until September. Plus, I think people have had a gutful of Bikies.

That last paragraph is really funny if you misread "bikies" as "bickies".

Commenter

darren

Date and time

May 15, 2012, 6:55AM

Hmm, Tricky Business. Watched the first 10 mins then my bed beckoned so recorded the rest. It seemed interesting but I will have to watch the whole thing before I judge. It certainly seemed less frothy than PTTR which I don't like at all. I wonder if their trying to make it more like Offspring than Rafters? Will have to hold off a verdict till I know more.

Thought The Voice last night was pretty average and gone totally into Idol mould now the voting is open. I like a couple of the girls especially the central coast girl (Karise or something?) but the guys were pretty ordinary. I suppose the pretty blonde teenage boy will get the most votes though and in the end it will end up a popularity contest and not about the Voice at all! That would be terribly disappointing but very predictable.

And also saw a bit of Masterchef. The girl with the big glasses is vying for "most annoying contestant" this year I'm sure. And who the hell eats tongue anyway? Yuck!!!

Commenter

em

Date and time

May 15, 2012, 11:08AM

Recorded tricky business and will see what I think when I finally get round to watching... Not intending to watch bikies/ bickies war tonight.

In case other TMers are interested, I have been keeping an eye on shows renewed in the US...

Ones that have been on our screens or due on our screens that are cancelled include: Alcatraz, Unforgettable, CSI Miami, Ringer, Missing, Harry's Law, GCB, and a Gifted Man.. some of these not so surprising really.

Happily Fringe was renewed and 30 Rock... now in Fringe's case if only GO!!! would show both the last 2 seasons all would be right in the world.

Alcatraz, Not really surprised Unforgettable, Huh? CSI Miami, Thank G_d.... can only take so much mumbling one liners Ringer, Huh? Missing, AWWwwwwwwwww poor C7 have been on about this for weeks. Looks like the yanks have taste after all. Harry's Law, Like this, when I remember to watch it, although has gone a bit flabby. GCB, ummmmm no idea and a Gifted Man. Guess he wasn't gifted enough.

Viewing FTA is like trying to win the lottery: you keep on hoping for a prize, and yet it always slips away. Where would Tuesdays be without the Doctor and GG. Weirdly, I seem to be seeing episodes of the Doctor I missed.... or else my mind has indeed turned to mush.

As for Risky Business, didn't want to risk it.

Commenter

Furlozza

Date and time

May 15, 2012, 2:55PM

Cathy, I saw that list of cancelled shows too. Like you said, no real surprise. I was glad they have kept "Person of Interest" around for awhile more. Alcatraz was rubbish and havent really seen much of the other shows you listed. Though I didn't mind Harry's Law. Thought it was quite ok. But Nine have never given it a decent run so I sort of gave up on it.

Also went to the movies last weekend. Saw "The Avengers" which I thought was pretty good for a superhero movie. Growing up with 2 older brothers I was into watching all these characters in cartoons as a kid. I was always partial to Thor. Must have been something about the long blonde hair and the magic hammer!

Looking forward to seeing Dark Shadows but the reviews haven't been too good. But who doesn't love Johnny Depp?

Commenter

em

Date and time

May 15, 2012, 3:43PM

None of the cancellations are surprising, they were all awful. What is surprising though is that the even worse 2 Broke Girls and Grimm were renewed.

Person of Interest was the top rating new show in the US, (though it doesn't do as well with 18-49s or women). Here 9 couldn't get half a million watching it after betting on Alcatraz being the early season hit and are sitting on the two final episodes.

Missing was just endless chases and stunts. It has no character, humour or romance. Channel 7 probably knew it would be cancelled and were just running the few episodes made 2 at a time against early episodes of the Voice (and whatever Channel 9 had on after it). The theory that something new with things blowing up if heavily promoted with get some audience.

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